Definition: A fellow is a physician who is participating in a fellowship, or additional education after the completion of residency training. After completing medical school, a surgeon completes residency, which is 5 or more years of on-the-job training. If additional training is desired after completing the residency, a fellowship is done. After a fellowship, the surgeon is considered a specialist.
For example, after completing residency, a surgeon is qualified as a general surgeon. If they want to practice a more specialized type of surgery, such as cardiothoracic surgery, they would enter a cardiothoracic fellowship for several years and become an expert at those types of procedures before practicing independently.
Also Known As: fellow, surgery fellow, surgery fellowship, surgeon fellow, medical fellow, surgical fellow
Common Misspellings: felow, felowship, fellow ship,
Examples:
While the fellow was fully qualified to perform general surgery, he wouldn't be a specialist until he completed a fellowship.
